Kentuckians have only a few days left to register to vote in this year’s general election. Many in Boyle County have already been taking the important step to become eligible voters, said County Clerk Trille Bottom said.

Bottom’s office has been processing a lot of registrations recently.

“I think there’s been a push among candidates, parties and Centre College to have voter registration drives,” Bottom said. “I urge everyone that is not registered to get registered so you can exercise your right to vote.”

The deadline to register is Tuesday, Oct. 9. Bottom said Boyle County residents can come into her office in the Boyle County Courthouse to register or register online through the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website. The county clerk’s office closes at 4 p.m. Tuesday; online registration will be available until midnight.

People are welcome to bring identification with them to register, but it’s not required, Bottom said, explaining how people are required to certify that all the information they provide when they register is accurate and true.

“We take their word that they are who they say they are,” Bottom said. “It would be for someone else to determine … if it were falsified information.”

Bottom said when she first took over as county clerk, there were around 17,000 registered voters in Boyle County.

Data from the state Board of Elections shows by 2010, there were almost 19,000 registered voters in the county. That number surpassed the 20,000 mark in 2014; as of September this year, there were 22,126 voters registered. That’s about 16.5 percent more voters than nine years ago. That growth has come largely in Republican and Independent registrations: Republican registrations have grown by about 45.8 percent, while registrations as Independent or for other political parties have grown by about 45.3 percent, according to data from the Board of Elections.

Bottom said having more people registered to vote is “absolutely a good thing for Boyle County.”

The chairs for Boyle County’s Democratic and Republican parties agreed.

“The upcoming election in Boyle County is historic in that voters actually have choices on both sides to vote for as opposed to the way it used to be with appointed incumbents running unopposed for each office,” Republican Chair Tom Tye said. “I truly hope that voters realize how hard all the candidates have worked and will care enough about their community to go to the polls. Your voice and your vote count.”

“It’s always important to register to vote, whether it’s this election or any other,” said Democratic Chair Richard Campbell. “I always subscribe to the saying that if you don’t vote, you can’t complain. And I think that’s true, but I think this election is particularly important — at least locally — because the local elections are such a personal situation. You’re on the grassroots level. The decisions that wind up getting made in county government or city government are the ones that really affect you every day where you live.”

Voter registration information

The deadline to register to vote in this year’s general election is Tuesday, Oct. 9.

You can register in-person at the Boyle County Courthouse, 321 W. Main St., Danville. The county clerk’s office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8; and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

You can register online at govoteky.com until midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 9. You can also review and update your registration on the same website. You can also review sample ballots, find your polling location, view candidate filings and sign up to serve as a poll worker.

The general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6.